Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Manpower, at the Sony Creative Science Award Presentation Ceremony on Wednesday, 12 July 2006, at 9.45 am, at the Singapore Science Centre

SPEECH BY MR GAN KIM YONG, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION & MINISTRY OF MANPOWER, AT THE SONY CREATIVE SCIENCE AWARD PRESENTATION CEREMONY ON WEDNESDAY, 12 JULY 2006, AT 9.45 AM, AT THE SINGAPORE SCIENCE CENTRE

Professor Dim-Lee Kwong
Executive Director of Institute of Microelectronics (IME), A*STAR

1. It gives me great pleasure to be here at the 9th Sony Creative Science Awards (SCSA) Prize Presentation Ceremony.

2. I am heartened to learn that the SCSA, a competition which promotes creativity among our primary students, has consistently garnered a healthy response from our students. This year, over 2700 entries were received from 90 schools. In fact, not only has the quantity gone up, the quality of the students’ projects has also steadily risen over the years since the competition began in 1998. I am encouraged by this positive trend.

3. Since last year, schools have also been invited to organise their own internal SCSA (Schools) Competitions to select the best entries from their schools to enter the main competition. This year, we saw over 1700 entries created by the students in the school-level competitions, over 200 more than last year. I hope more schools will follow suit and take advantage of this initiative to hold their own competitions so as to inspire their students in a fun and creative way.

4. Today we live in a fast changing world. We need to develop in our younger generation a global mindset so that they are aware of the changes in the world that is around us. Our education must inspire them and instil in them the spirit of innovation and enterprise. We must encourage them to have bold dreams and equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to realise their dreams

5. The emergence of new technologies is also changing the learning experience of our children. We need to constantly find new ways to engage and motivate our students in our education system to ensure it remains effective and relevant.

6. In recent years, we have made our education system more flexible and more diverse in response to the changing needs. Our students are now given more options to explore different interests and pursue different ways of learning. This broad-based education would ensure their all-round development, both in and out of the classroom.

7. This competition is a good example of how we can help our students to be more engaged in learning. Participants applied the knowledge gained during their science lessons to make toys that are safe to construct and play with. This interesting and yet educational activity stimulates their creativity and develops in them a healthy sense of curiosity. These are qualities we want to instil in our students from an early age, to better prepare them for the future.

8. I want to take this opportunity to applaud the teachers who had been actively involved in organising the school-level competitions and in helping the students prepare for the main competition. Your efforts will go a long way to help your students develop an innovative and enterprising spirit. Your contributions will be duly recognised with the Blue Ribbon Awards which will be presented later.

9. The organisers told me that many parents were also actively involved in their children’s toy-making efforts. Unexpectedly, the SCSA has provided an excellent opportunity for parents to bond with their children through working together on the project. This healthy parent – child interaction should be encouraged and I hope there will be even greater parental involvement in future competitions.

10. Finally, I would like to commend the Singapore Science Centre and Sony Electronics (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd for successfully organising this annual competition for our primary students. I would like to also congratulate all the SCSA winners today. Your creativity, hard work and enthusiasm have earned you these well-deserved awards. However, winning is not the ultimate aim of this competition. I hope all of you have learnt something useful and had great fun in this competition. I am sure years later, you would remember what you have learnt and would look back on this competition with fond memories. I wish you all an exciting morning.